Save Me
by Nightangel1282
Summary: What if every once in a while, a person was born with far more spirit energy than normal? Watch as the Spirit Detectives try to help her! Not the best summary... please give it a chance! R
1. Chapter 1

_Hi, this is another Yu Yu Hakusho fanfiction by me! I know I'm working on another one, and I WILL update it soon!_

_Anyway, this story asks the question... what if every once in a while, someone evinced far more spirit energy than normal for no apparent reason? A normal human girl who lived a life of abuse and neglect, unknowingly had immense power within her until she finally snaps, unleashing her anger and causing death and destruction. And now it is up to the Spirit detectives to find her and help her learn to control this destructive power within her... and to help her recover from the guilt of taking so many innocent lives!_

_I need ya to vote though... is it gonna be KuramaOC or HieiOC? Please review my story and tell me what you want!!!_

_Oh, yeah... I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the characters... except for Kiarra._

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Yusuke, Kuwabara and Kurama (aka: Suichi Minamino) were walking down the street on a warm sunny day, enjoying one of the few times when they weren't off trying to save the world rom evil psychotic demons bent on destroying it or its inhabitants. Even Hiei, who was normally nowhere to be seen on such days, was leaping from tree to tree at their sides, out of sight to the general populace and listening intently to the conversation taking place on the street down below.

"So, Keiko is in America visiting her grandmother?" Suichi asked Yusuke.

He nodded, a slight scowl on his face. "Yeah. It kinda sucks to tell you the truth. I mean, I'm happy she's not dragging me around shopping and all, but I do kinda wish she was here to spend some time with me on my day off."

Kuwabara smiled. "I'm sure she won't be gone long, Urameshi. But at least my Yukina's still close. I'm gonna go to Genkai's shrine later on and give her a visit."

Yusuke smirked at him. "Have you convinced her to go on a date with you yet?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. But I'm working on it."

The two of them looked at Kurama. "What about you? Any lady love in your life yet?"

The fox demon shook his head, a half smile playing on his lips. "No. I have many ladies after me, but I am afraid I have chosen to be rather picky about whichever woman I will eventually decide to be with."

Kuwabara blinked. "How come? I mean... you've gotta have women eatin' out of your hand, Kurama. Why be so picky?"

"For one, if I decide to engage in a romantic relationship, I want it to be a serious one... not a one night stand, although Youko could care less about matters such as that. And since I am seeking a serious long term relationship, that means I must find a woman who will not mind my absences when I do my work for Koenma. Also, because of my frequent absences, I will have to find a woman who has no history of premiscuity. It would not do for me to be with a woman who sleeps in another man's bed while I'm out killing demons."

Yusuke grinned. "And you want her to be beautiful, right?"

He grinned back a little ruefully. "Well, although physical appearance is not at the top of my list, it would help. It would be nice to be with a woman who was pleasing to the eye."

Kuwabara put his hands behind his head. "I guess Yusuke and I kinda lucked out. I mean... he and Keiko have been friends since they were little kids, and she knows about the Otherworld. Yukina's an Ice Maiden, so that solves my problems... but it's actually pretty hard to find women with all those qualities, ya know?"

"And it's not as if I have all the time in the world to locate one, either," Kurama said a little dryly. "However, I am sure that I will eventually find a woman who meets those primary requirements and..."

Before he could complete his sentence, Hiei was out of the tree and cutting them off. "Do you guys feel that?" he hissed.

The three of them stopped in their tracks and felt out with their senses. They stiffened as one as they felt what he had. It was spirit energy, and it was rising VERY quickly.

Yusuke looked around himself. "I feel it, but where's it coming from?"

His question was answered seconds later when an enormous explosion ripped through a residential area about fifteen blocks to the west of where they were. They could see a large arch of light blue aura as it reared into the sky, and the collapse of buildings, crunching of vehicles, and people screaming in terror.

The aura died out as quickly as it had showed up and they stood where they were, looking on in the direction of the disturbance in shock.

"What... what was THAT?" Kuwabara asked, his eyes enormous.

Kurama shook his head. "I don't know, but we should go find out right now. If the city is under attack by a demon with that much power, then it won't be long before the entire city is left in ruin."

Nodding in agreement, the four of them rushed off, heading toward the residential neighborhood, passing by many people as they were running in the opposite direction. People of all ages... women and children, husbands and senior citizens, all of them absolutely terrified and confused.

As they were nearing the outskirts of the destroyed area, a voice rang out. "Hey!! Guys!! Hold up a minute!!!"

They stopped in their tracks as Botan came down to them. "As you can imagine, I'm pretty busy right now, but Koenma told me that bringing you to him was top priority."

Yusuke almost blew his stack. "WHAT?! DON'T YOU THINK STOPPING WHOEVER DID THIS IS A LITTLE MORE IMPORANT THAN LISTENING TO THAT TODDLER'S WHINING?"

She bristled slightly. "I'll have you know that his reasons for seeing you are directly related to what just happened here! Things are not what they seem."

Kurama looked at her. "So... the city isn't under attack then?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I'd explain it to you myself, but I have a lot of work to do. Over five hundred people were killed and I have to escort them. I'm just going to teleport you guys to the Palace and then leave you be."

Kuwabara didn't look like he wanted to follow her anywhere, and just wanted to run into the area and see what was up for himself, but Yusuke shook his head at him in silent warning. If Koenma was stopping them after so many obvious deaths, then the runt must have a reason for it. The least they could do was hear him out since they had been assured that it was NOT an attack.

Hiei scowled deeply, but nodded as well, and with that affirmation, Botan teleported them all to the Palace.

She looked at them. "You know the way! He's in the throne room! I'd stay but I've gotta run before the spirits get freaked without their guidance! Later guys!"

She poofed out of sight without another word.

Kurama looked at them all. "Well, I suppose we should go see what the deal is. I really want to know what the cause of all the commotion was."

Nodding, the others all followed.

When they entered the throne room, they saw ogres swarming every which way in a frenzied panic, while Koenma was being handed pamphlets and folders and had people whispering or muttering in his ear every couple of seconds. The infant looked about ready to have a total temper tantrum before he noticed them standing in the doorway, taking in the sights.

He let out an enormous sigh of relief. "You're here! Thank you!!!!"

Hiei had his arms crossed. "Do you mind explaining why you called us here when we were about to investigate an unexplainable explosion that killed hundreds of innocent humans?"

The infants relieved look turned irritated. "I called you here because if you had just run on in there, you would have gone in with the wrong idea in mind and gone killing anyone that seemed to be unusually strong, when the fact of the matter is, this whole incident was actually nothing more than a VERY unfortunate and terrible accident."

Kurama blinked. "An accident? I don't understand, Koenma. We all clearly felt someone's aura... it was coming from a person, not some unrelated outside source."

The toddler nodded. "You are correct again, Kurama. The disturbance WAS caused by a person... however, as mentioned earlier, the person is not directly at fault."

Yusuke looked ready to explode. "What the hell are you talking about? Did this person cause the explosion or didn't he? And why? If it was caused by that person, if it was that person's aura, then how can you say it's not their fault?"

The expressions on all their faces told the Prince that they were all wondering the same thing.

He sighed. "Well, it's a little complicated, but I'll try to explain. You see... every once in a while, a human is born with an unusually high amount of spirit energy within them. THese are incredibly rare instances in which demons are not a part of the human bloodline... at least so far we have not been able to trace any blood to her bloodline..." Then he shook his head and continued, not seeing Kurama and Hiei's eyes spark in interest when he said 'her'.

"So it's one of these rare humans that caused the incident?" Kuwabara asked, blinking in slight confusion.

Koenma nodded. "Yes. But there is far more to it than that." He hesitated, clearing his throat as he started leafing through some files. "This is a situation that must be treated delicately. I have had my people finding any and all information they can find on this girl since the incident occurred twenty minutes ago, and we already have an enormous amount of her history. Unfortunately, none of it is good."

Hiei looked at him. "She a troublemaker?"

The toddler's eyes went huge and he shook his head. "Oh, goodness, no. In fact, her slate is clean in the behavoral department. But she has experienced nothing but pain her entire life." He leafed through the pamphlets. "Abandoned at birth, she was found discarded in a trash heap in southern Tokyo, parents were never found, placed in an orphanage immediately and given the name Kiarra by the head nurse. She spent all her seventeen years in and out of orphanages, on and off the streets, and experiencing various forms of abuse from most of the 'homes' she was placed in. She learned early in her life that if she displayed anger of any sort or defiance, it would bring her nothing but greater physical pain, so she learned to mentally lock away that anger and hatred that she felt. And, of course, anger and hatred are the emotions most commonly used to unlock spirit energy."

Kurama frowned slightly. "I think I know where this is giong. So, something caused this girl to snap, is what you're saying? She experienced something that unleashed her anger and it also unleashed her chi?"

Koenma nodded with a sigh. As he nodded, two ogres wheeled in a large movie screen.

"It might be easiest if you see for yourselves exactly what happened. Kiarra was living with another foster family who took her in from the West End Orphanage last week... and, the man of the family is especially abusive... or was in any event. As you can see from the interior view of the house, he was giving her a beating... for breaking a dish of all the stupid reason," he added with noticable contempt as the scene unfolded. The girl was crouched in a corner, a large man in his early forties screaming at her and kicking her none too gently. Her eyes alternated from being wide in fear, and shut tight in pain. But that pained look started to look angry as they watched.

The girl suddenly stood upright, her expression furious. "I SAID STOOOOPPPP!!!!" she screamed. The instant the words were out of her mouth, all hell broke loose.

The woman's back arched and her eyes went wide as the pupils vanished, the whites of her eyes glowing a faint blue as her platinum blonde hair flailed out wildly as if in a wild breeze. Then that aura exploded forth with a power that was terrifying and the image immediately blinked to an outward view of the home, from far up in the air. From this bird's perspective, they saw a quaint suburban family home explode outward with enormous force, and her blue aura stretching out in all directions, somewhat resembling the appearance of an A-bomb. It stretched out for five blocks in all directions, destroying everything and everyone in its path... the people in their homes, the children on the streets, the cars and the people inhabiting them. Upon having another close up of the girl, they saw that her expression and position hadn't changed at all. She looked as if she were in a trance of some sort, obviously not in any control at all.

And then, as they watched, the energy tapered off and the woman fell in a heap amongst the rubble that used to be the home. She lay there for a moment before she slowly lifted her head and her eyes went enormous in total shock and terror. Her adopted father had been vaporized by the blast and there wasn't anything left of the house larger than a match.

She scrambled to her feet, swayed with dizziness for a moment, and fell to one knee ass he trembled in terror, her eyes going blank in shock as she surveyed thed amage about her. Trears started to brim in ehr eyes as she looked at her hands in confusion and mounting fear. She was on the verge of hyperventalating when she realized that she had been the one to cause all of this destruction, filled with terror at what she had done, as well as confusion and overwhelming guilt when she realized that she had killed many people and she didn't even know how or why.

Through the image, they heard the wailing of approaching sirens and her head jerked up, her eyes going positively enormous. She shook her head as she scrambled to her feet and just shot off as quickly as she could go, tears streaming down both of her cheeks now as all she could think of was to get away from here as quickly as she could.

As she vanished amongst the rubble, the image died and the screen stood alone once more.

Koenma looked at them to guage their reactions to the scene they had just witnessed.

Hiei's eyes flickered slightly with surprise and perhaps even a little sympathy, but it was gone before the Prince could even be sure it was there in the first place. It was nothing more than an emotionless mask in the blink of an eye.

Yusuke's expression showed sympathy and mounting anger, having witnessed the abuse the innocent girl had been experiencing at the hands of a man who was supposed to show her love and protection.

Kuwabara looked totally shocked, more than a little sympathetic, and his teeth gritted together as he, too, remembered the pain the man had been giving her.

And Kurama's expression was deeply sympathetic as he had watched the scene play out from beginning to end. But his mouth was set in a thin line, showing his own anger.

Koenma nodded to himself, satisfied that they saw the severity of the situation as well as the reasons why the Prince had stopped them from engaging in their initial investigation.

"If I had allowed you to run in there the second it had happened, you would have sensed her power and immediately attacked, not knowing that she was not the one at fault. She simply has no control over her newfound abilities and right now she is very much alone and positively terrified of her own power. She has no idea what it is or how to control it, and she is devestated, knowing that she was the one responsible for the death and destruction that took place. Kiarra is a VERY kind and self-conscious young woman, who up until this point never even hurt a fly, as far as we can tell. And yet throughout her life, she has experienced nothing but pain and great suffering at the hands of the people who were SUPPOSED to love and care for her. She never intended for this to happen, and as you must know by now, she's not even sure HOW it happened in the first place. She doesn't deserve to be punished for what happened. She doesn't need to be killed for what she inadvertedly did. What she needs is HELP. And we are the only ones who can do that for her. Do you understand that now?"

Even Hiei nodded as they regarded him.

He sighed in relief. "I will send you to find and bring her here in a few moments, but before that, there are just a few more details that I should tell you. First off... she is NOT a strong human. Her body is too weak to stand the power she just unleashed, so she will be weak and, more than likely, in some degree of pain. I don't think I also have to tell you that other demons more than likely felt her energy and will now seek her out themselves. So it's urgent that you find her as quickly as you can. And also..." His expression was very serious now. "Remember... just because she is weak now, doesn't mean she's not dangerous, even though she doesn't want to be. Now that she unlocked the power with her rage, it wouldn't surprise me at all if it was unleashed again with fear. Approach her with caution and make sure she knows you do NOT intend to harm her. Fear is a defensive response and if her power unleashes itself again, it might do so in a far more devestating way than before. So be careful."

They all nodded as one and Koenma sighed again. "All right. Botan's a little busy right now, so I'll get another reaper to teleport you back to earth." A woman with violet hair stepped into the room. "This is Marrissa. She will bring you to the scene of the incident and it will be up to you to track Kiarra from there."

The four of them nodded and approached the girl who wordlessly opened a portal for them, leading them back to Earth. When they were there, she looked at them.

"I'd stay and help, but I have to help Botan. I'm sure you can find Kiarra on your own and know how to contact us once you have. You're to bring her to Koenma's palace once you have found her."

Yusuke nodded. "No problem. Thanks, Marrissa."

She nodded and popped out of sight once more, leaving the four of them to figure the rest out for themselves.

All eyes were on Kuwabara. "Do you sense anything, Kazu?" Yusuke asked.

The boy frowned and looked around. "I think so. It's almost like a trail or something... of energy. It's heading off that way," he said, pointing down a street leading out of the chaotic scene.

Kurama nodded. "Youko can sense it as well. It appears to lead back to the scene of the incident, so I believe this trail will lead us to Kiarra."

"Hn. So let's go find her then."

Nodding, they headed off, following the trail. Letting Kuwabara and Kurama lead them.

They passed by many people on the way, most of which were staring slack jawed at the devestation and trying to figure out what had caused it. There were some people with minor injuries from the debris, but they didn't seem to require immediate attention.

After a moment, Kuwabara spoke up. "I can feel her! She's only a couple blocks ahead!!"

Kurama nodded. "Then let's hurry up and catch up with her."

_All right!! There's my first chapter! Please tell me what you think!! And don't forget to vote!! It's either gonna be Kurama paired up with Kiarra or Hiei!! _


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay!! Here's chapter two!! Please Read and Review!!_

_And no, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, as much as a wish I did. All I own is my character Kiarra._

Kiarra was beyond terrified. She had no idea what had just happened or why, but she knew that somehow she had just managed to destroy about twenty city blocks of residential homes and kill Kami knew how many people. Including Ryo, the most recent person who had decided to take her in and get her out of the hell hole orphanage.

She sighed inwardly. Out of one hell hole and into another. Story of her life.

Her entire body felt like it was on fire, her stomach and chest tight. It almost felt as if her insides were being twisted and sliced open, but she shoved the pain from her mind for now. The only thing she could think was, 'I have to get away from here... I have to go where I can't hurt anybody else.'

Her entire body was trembling with strain and her vision blurred as tears welled in her eyes once more. She had killed! She didn't know how or why, but she had killed. What the hell was going on?

What was happening to her?

Her legs almost went out from beneath her and she stumbled, quickly shifting her body weight in midstride so she slammed into the wall of a building at her side instead of falling flat on her face. She wanted nothing more than to rest for a few minutes, but no. She couldn't afford to rest. She had to keep going.

She pushed away from the side of the building and took a few more steps before a sharp pain exploded in her stomach and chest. She cried out in pain, coughing and felt her eyes go wide when she saw that she had coughed up blood. She started trembling once more, trying to decide what she should do. She didn't have much choice but to rest, she knew.

Kiarra took several shaky steps toward an alleyway and ducked inside, leaning against the wall as she took in lungful's of air, her chest burning with each breath she took. Her legs went out from beneath her and she let herself slide down the wall and sat on the concrete ground, trying to stop her trembling and to will the pain inside of her to go away. To top everything off, she felt an oncoming headache.

Just a few minutes, she told herself. She'd just rest for a few minutes and then she'd keep going.

"Miss!"

Kiarra looked up with a start. Only about thirty seconds had passed since she had sat down. At the mouth of the alleyway were four figures. She barely had a chance to take them in at all before she was scrambling to her feet in a panic. She didn't want to be around others! It was too dangerous. She didn't know what had triggered that weird power earlier and she didn't want to experience it again.

"Please! Just stay away from me!!" she said quickly, turning and racing into the alley, forcing her shaky legs to move as quickly as they could.

"Kiarra! Wait!!" The same voice rang out. The woman stopped in shock and whirled, her eyes widening slightly.

"How did you know my...?"

Before she could finish asking her question, a horrific burning pain shot straight through her stomach and she bowled over, her eyes going huge in pain as she coughed up more blood. Her legs went out from beneath her again and she lurched forward.

She felt someone's arms wrap around her, stopping her descent. She looked up, tears streaming from her eyes once more as she saw a very handsom young man with long red hair looking at her in deep concern. He held her close to him, his arms wrapped securely around her.

"Ow... Please... help... me..." she managed to get out before her world went black.

Kurama looked at the young woman who was now unconscious in his arms.

Hiei came forward. "Well, that was easy."

The fox demon shook his head. "Not quite. We have to get her to Otherworld as quickly as possible so I can treat her in the medical wing. Her body is completely burned out from the power she utilized and if we don't do something soon, she'll die." He scooped her up into his arms and watched as Yusuke pulled a mirror out of his pocket and started to contact Botan.

A somewhat frazzled and hectic looking Botan popped up seconds later. "Just a quick trip, one, two! Then you're on your own again, guys! Let's do this!"

Before they could even think of a response, Botan had the portal opened and was ushering them all through it, obviously not having any patience with her work load being so high today. Before Yusuke could give a word of thanks to her when they reached the palace, she was gone already, returning to her reaper duties on Earth.

When he took a moment to look around himself, he saw that she had had the semblance of mind to transport them straight to Koenma himself. The toddler blinked in surprise, seeing their arrival and then rushed up to Kurama who was holding the limp form of the girl in his arms.

"Is she all right? What happened?"

The fox demon shook his head. "She was more burned out than even you anticipated, Koenma. I have to get her to the medical ward right now and tend to her injuries." He looked at Hiei who was standing off to the side, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jacket. "Hiei, I could use your help. Your third eye might be useful. I'm sure Yusuke and Kuwabara can handle giving the report to Koenma.

Shrugging, the fire apparation followed Kurama out of the room and toward the medical wing.

Yusuke glowered after them for a moment before letting out a sigh and turning to Koenma. Then he started his report.

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Once he reached the medical ward, Kurama wasted no time. He had Kiarra down on a bed and was checking her over carefully, being as respectful as he could under the circumstances.

He nodded. "She has internal bleeding. She must be in excrutiating pain. It's a wonder she was able to run as far as she did. The poor thing must have been petrified." He looked at Hiei. "It will take some energy to heal the internal injuries, and there are also some old scars on her that have not been treated properly... curteosy of some of her former families, no doubt. There is a chance she could wake up, and if she does, I need you to use third eye if you feel the situation calls for it and keep her calm. I'm sure the last thing anyone wants is for her power to activate while she's here in the palace."

Hiei shrugged noncommittally and made his telltale "hn". That was enough for Kurama as he quickly proceeded to heal her as quickly and carefully as he could.

About a half hour into his treatments, the young woman let out a pained moan and started fidgeting on the bed. Then her eyes snapped open in alarm and, upon seeing the two strange men, she immediately panicked.

Kurama quickly held her firmly down, not hard enough to hurt her, but not wanting her to inadvertedly harm herself. "Miss! You must calm down! You're injured and..."

"Let go of me!! Where am I? Who are you?! What do you want with me?"

Hiei felt her power starting to rise and quickly stepped closer to her, his expression turning stern... which was terrifying even to those who considered him a friend.

"CALM DOWN OR YOUR POWER WILL ACTIVATE AGAIN!!!!" he said, his voice echoing slightly through the medical wing.

His words and tone had the desired effect, much to his and Kurama's relief. The woman had stiffened immediately and her eyes went huge hearing this. He felt the rising power come to a screeching halt as a combination of fear and terrified resistance rose a mental wall against it.

Kurama sighed in relief, and then looked down at her. "All right... listen to me, Miss. You are not in danger here. No one is going to hurt you. I need you to take a few deep breaths and keep yourself calm. I know you're afraid right now, and that is perfectly understandable considering everything that you've been through, but as long as you keep your emotions in check for now, you will be all right. I have to heal your injuries and once I have done that we can explain things to you, all right?" He finished his narrative by giving her one of his gentle smiles that had been known to send women reeling.

The woman looked up at him for a few long seconds before she gave him a shaky nod and took in several deep, shaky breaths, trying to keep herself from having a panic attack due to the strange and terrifying situation she found herself in now.

When she had sufficiently calmed down, the red haired man continued healing her. When she saw him gently press his hand against her stomach, and saw his hand start to GLOW, she quickly shut her eyes and forced herself to calm down once more when she felt the whispers of panic returning once more. Whatever he was doing to her, it didn't hurt at all. In fact, it made the burning sensation in her midsection go away. A moment later, he gave her a sincere advanced apology before settling his hand upon her chest, trying to be as respectful as he could be under the present circumstances and he repeated the procedure. The burning she had felt in her lungs also dissipated and vanished.

He then checked her over again, very careful to remain as respectful as his circumstances would allow, healing up old scars and injuries that had not been treated properly in the past and bringing her to as great a health as he could. Hiei turned his gaze in another direction when the fox demon worked on the more sensitive areas, his expression showing a total lack of interest. But he had a feeling she wouldn't exactly be comfortable if he stood there with his eyes right on her as the red haired man worked.

After an additional half hour, the man healing her straightened himself and placed her clothes back in their proper positions. Then he gave her a gentle smile. "You're completely healed now. You'll just be tired for a while because of all the spirit energy you unleashed. You'll be fine in just a day or so, though."

She gave a small nod, looking a little uncertain as he gently helped her to sit up. She was relieved to feel no shooting pains going through her system, and even her oncoming headache had vanished. The only thing she could complain about now was fatigue. And confusion.

She couldn't help but look at them both with a measure of awe and wariness. She had no idea how this man had healed her, or what else he was capable of, and she was even moreso in the dark about his vertically challenged companion with the unnerving red eyes. So far they had both been completely respectful towards her, but after the life she had lead up until now, trust was NOT her strong point. It was her experience that when people showed kindness toward her, they often wanted something in return.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice calmer than the first time. "And where am I?"

The red haired man gave her a small nod. "I am called Kurama, and my friend is Hiei. This may come as a shock to you, but... you are not in your world anymore. You're in a place known as the Spirit World, or Rekai."

Kiarra felt a shiver race down her spine. "And... why... was I brought here?"

Hiei's arms were across his chest as he looked at her. "Before we tell you THAT, we should tell you a few more things to help you to better understand. First of all, there are three seperate worlds... the Human world, which you're from, the Spirit World, which we are in right now, and the Demon World... which is the world that Kurama and myself are native to."

Her eyes went a little wider. "You two are... demons?"

Kurama smiled at her. "Not to worry. Not all demons are evil. Hiei and I work to protect the Human and Spirit World from demons that would do it harm. We are forbidden from killing humans."

Hiei nodded. "That's right. The Spirit World is sort of an intermediary between the other two worlds... Human and Demon. If there is trouble in either world, we are sent to investigate and take care of the problem. Our employer is called Koenma, who is the son of King Enmn, the ruler of Spirit World."

Kurama continued the narrative from there. "Today, while we were walking down the street, we felt a surge of energy and witnessed an enormous surge of power destroy a portion of Tokyo. At first we and our friends thought the city was under attack and we were ready to take down the enemy, whoever it might be. But before we reached the scene of the incident, Koenma's assistant, a reaper by the name of Botan, dragged us here to meet with Koenma. That is when we were told about what had happened..." He hesitated. "Koenma had gathered a great deal of information about you, and even replayed the scene that had occurred... the incident that lead up to the release of your spirit energy. And once he had cleared up what was going on and assured us that the city was NOT under attack, he sent us back to earth to locate you and bring you up here."

She stiffened slightly. "I... didn't mean for it to happen..." she said in a small voice.

Kurama blinked and then realized that his choice of words had implied that she would have to face some form of punishment. He quickly shook his head.

"Oh, you're not in any sort of trouble, Kiarra. Quite the contrary, we were told to bring you here so we could help you." He looked at her, his expression gone a little serious. "You see, on extremely rare occasions, humans are born with a huge amount of spirit energy within them. That's the energy that you unleashed in your enraged state. Most humans have only enough to let them live with little to spare, or perhaps enough to give them a sixth sense. Others have enough to allow them to train and become powerful fighters, but YOU..." He gave her a slightly sympathetic smile. "You were one of the very rare humans born with an incredibly high amount of spirit energy within you. Because of your... less than favorable circumstances and experiences in life, you instinctually suppressed your anger and frustration. The very emotions that are most likely to reveal spirit energy in the uninitiated. And when your present guardian was mistreating you, your anger finally came to a head and unleashed the power that was bottled within you. And now that it has been unleashed for the first time, lesser emotional states could cause it to unleash again, which is why Hiei and I were trying to keep you calm as I healed you."

Hiei nodded and looked at her. "It's not your fault that the power unleashed itself like that. You don't need punishment. You need help. And THAT'S why we were told to bring you here. Without instruction on how to control your spirit energy, you may wind up causing more devestation, despite your peaceful intentions."

She seemed both deeply relieved and slightly apprehensive hearing this. She had no idea what sort of 'instruction' she would be given or what to expect.

Kurama smiled at her. "I think that's enough talk for now. Now that you are awake and feeling well, I think it is time for you to meet our employer, Koenma, as well as our fellow Spirit Detectives, Yusuke and Kuwabara."

She blinked and looked at them. "Are they demons, too?"

Hiei snorted as Kurama shook his head. "Yusuke is half demon, and Kuwabara is a full blooded human with a very acute sixth sense and a fair amount of spirit energy within him."

She shrugged and then nodded, trying to shove aside the sudden nervousness she felt creeping up in the pit of her stomach. She was about to meet the Prince of an entire world. She had no idea what he was like or what she was going to say once she met him.

Kurama seemed to notice her nervousness and gave her another of his patented smiles. "You have nothing to be afraid of, Kiarra. Koenma can be a little blunt, but he has a great love for humans and sympathizes greatly with your situation. Although I should warn you, his appearance may take you by surprise."

They were now walking down the corridor, having left the medical wing. She looked up at him. "Why? He's not scary is he?"

She blinked when she heard Hiei snort, this time holding back a sudden laugh.

Kurama chuckled a little himself. "No. He's quite the opposite, really. He has the body of a toddler. He appears to be around one human year old."

She blinked and stared at him. "You're... kidding..."

He shook his head. "Although, if he's feeling generous, he may take on his adult form, but even in that state, he uses a pacifier. However, he is hundreds of years old and has a great deal of knowledge. He runs the Spirit World when his father is absent, and he takes his duties very seriously."

Kurama felt relief when he saw the girl trying to suppress a smile. "I'll try to keep my reaction under control, but I can't make any promises."

He had to smile at her response and had a distinct feeling he knew exactly what her reaction was going to be.

When they walked into the throne room, the first thing they saw was Yusuke and Kuwabara standing in front of the throne. Kurama cleared his throat meaningfully, and they both turned, revealing the form seated on the throne.

Yusuke and Kuwabara smiled in relief, seeing the girl walking about, not noticing her wide eyes were now on the small form on the throne. "Hey! You're walking around now! Thank Kami, we were getting worried!" The two of them raced forward. "Hi! I'm Yusuke Urameshi, and this is Kazuma Kuwabara. It's a pleasure to met you!"

She blinked. "Um..." was all she managed to get out, her eyes still on the throne and turning a light shade of red.

The boys blinked and turned, seeing Koenma was now hovering in the air, his wide eyes blinking as he looked at Kiarra. The pacifier was still placed firmly in his mouth as he regarded her.

"Oh, right! Sorry. This is the Prince of Rekai, Koenma. He's the one we work for. I hope Kurama and Hiei brought you up to date..." Yusuke said, scratching his head. Kurama nodded in his direction.

Koenma nodded to Kiarra. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Kiarra. I do hope you are recovered from your experience?"

Kurama looked at Koenma. "She is. I took care of her injuries. The only thing she needs now is some rest to take care of her fatigue."

Kiarra was barely able to keep from bursting loose. "Kawaaaiiiii!!!!" she said, her eyes shining and her face turning bright red as she looked at Koenma.

The fox demon chuckled. He had been correct about her reaction.

Yusuke and Kuwabara both blinked in unison and started laughing. I've gotta see how Koenma handles THIS one! they both thought.

Hiei allowed a small smirk to come to his face as he saw the Prince blink in surprise at her reaction. Most people tended to laugh and he had probably been prepared to defend his status. He had probably never been referred to as cute before.

The girls eyes continued to shine. "I'm sorry! I can't help it! I know you're hundreds of years old like Kurama told me, but you look like a floating, talking baby and that rates a ten for cuteness!! I find it absolutely adorable!!"

Koenma blinked a few more times and sighed inwardly. _They'll never let me forget THIS..._ he thought to himself. But at the same time, he just couldn't get angry at the girl. It was the first time a human had seen him without outright laughing or making stupid jokes. Besides, it was kind of flattering to have her referring to him as 'cute'.

He cleared his throat. "I suppose I can live with this reaction. At least it's better than Yusuke's initial reaction upon his meeting me."

Kurama continued to chuckle lightly, then he composed himself. "Koenma. Have you devised a plan of action to help Kiarra with her dilemma?"

At this change of topic, Kiarra's expression immediately turned to a downcast one, but she kept her ears open to what was being said.

He nodded. "I have contacted Genkai. She is the best qualified to help in this matter. She has agreed to nothing yet, unfortunately. She said the only way she will train Kiarra is if she passes her test like the rest of the applicants."

Yusuke looked at him in shock. "WHAT?! But, Koenma... Kuwabara and I BOTH took that test and we were nearly killed! She doesn't have any fighting experience!"

He nodded. "I understand that, Yusuke. But you know Genkai well enough to understand her reasons. She will not make any exceptions simply due to unfortunate circumstances surrounding a single potential student. That would mean she would have to make special exceptions to more people and it would be viewed as unfair to the other applicants who seek out her tutalage."

She looked up a little uncertainly. "Um... who's Genkai?"

Yusuke smiled. "She's the Reiki Master. A human who used to be a demon slayer in her younger days. Now she takes on the occassional student to help them reach their full potential. But in order for you to be selected as a student, you have to pass a rigorous test that includes some fights. She's a bit of a hard ass, but she definitely knows her stuff."

Koenma looked at her. "Tomorrow, Genkai will have her door open for new applicants. I must warn you that Yusuke is right... the test has the potential to be dangerous and has been deadly in the past. But Genkai is the one who is best qualified to help you learn to control your abilities. Are you up for it?"

She took in a deep breath and nodded. "Yes. I want to get things under control before I hurt anyone else."

Koenma nodded. "All right, then. Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama and Hiei will be there with you to watch the proceedings as you undergo the ordeal. They will take you to Genkai's temple in the morning, so you should get to sleep now so your energy is as good as it can be tomorrow."

She nodded a little numbly, almost positive that sleep wasn't going to be happening for her tonight. Not after the hellish day that she'd had.

Kurama placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her gently. "I ahve many plants at my command. I will give you something that will give you a deep and dreamless sleep tonight."

She sighed in relief and nodded. The fox demon gently lead her out of the throne room and towards the guest rooms.

_All right!! There you have chapter two!! Don't forget to vote... KuramaOC or Hiei OC? I've gotta know!! So please review and tell me which one YOU want!! I'll tally up the votes once they start coming in!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Okay! Here's chapter three!! Please tell me what you think! Love me? Hate me? Let me know!! Flames welcome. I could use them for my marshmellows!! _

The next morning, Kiarra was brought to the temple and told to just stand there and wait for someone to tell her what to do. She had also been told that the Spirit Detectives were heading into the temple itself, but they would be close and keeping an eye on her. They assured her that even out of her sight and behind the walls, Hiei could keep a close watch on her because of his demonic abilities.

She felt really out of place and vulnerable, considering the rest of the company. She was the only woman she could see who was present, and all these guys looked like they could snap her like a twig. She forced herself to remain calm, taking deep breaths and reminding herself that if she got too nervous or uptight, it might cause a repeat of the incident. Staying calm was easier said then done, though, with the looks some of these guys were giving her.

After about twenty minutes of tense waiting, a pretty young woman with light blue hair stepped out of the temple and handed out small envelopes to each person there, telling them NOT to open them until Genkai came out and told them to.

Another ten minutes passed before the doors opened once more and an old woman with greying hair stepped out and regarded them all with a cool look. She scanned the crowd for a long moment, her eyes stopping on Kiarra for a couple of heartbeats before they continued their scan.

"My assistant Yukina has given each of you an envelope. There is a piece of paper within it. If your paper is red, then you are welcome to come in and take my test. If it is white, then try again next time."

Kiarra blinked slowly, and upon casting a quick glance around at the other hopeful students, she saw the same confusion on their features. Then they all slowly opened their envelopes. She sighed in relief when she saw her paper was red. Around her she heard some shouts of glee, and other sounds that indicated that many of the people had not made it through.

She suddenly felt a massive hand on her shoulder. "Hey!! How come you get a red paper?! You're nothin' but a little lady! Hand that over so Genkai-Sama can get a REAL student!"

Kiarra barely caught a glimpse of the massively built man before he snatched the envelope from her hand.

"HEY!!!" she protested in alarm, wondering how she was going to get it back. But before she could say anything else, the paper that had just been stolen from her flared a bright red and strange tendrils of energy coursed around the man.

He gave a cry of pain and dropped to the ground.

From where she stood, Genkai smirked. "Did I fail to mention that any attempts to steal someone else's envelope will result in a painful shock? The papers within will change color if the person holding the envelope has the potential for greatness. Now, those of you with the red papers, come in. The rest of you, go home and try again next time."

Kiarra sighed in massive relief and quickly picked up her envelope and followed the others inside. She was among the last people to enter the temple.

They were inside a large room now, and against one wall was some sort of punching pad with a digital meter above it.

Genkai looked at them. "There are still about fifty of you here, but that will be cut down significantly with this next task." She indicated the strange device on the wall. "This punching meter will measure, not your physical strength, but the amount of Spirit Energy you possess. Only those who rate over 200 will be allowed to progress any further."

Kiarra paled immediately. She hadn't thrown a punch before in her life! But... if what Kurama had told her was true, then she had a high amount of this Spirit Energy inside her, so it didn't really matter how strong she was, did it?

She hung back again as all the guys went ahead of her. She heard more moans than whoops, and she found herself struggling against nervousness once more.

Then Genkai looked at her. "And you, Miss? You're the last one, so come on now. Don't be shy."

She could feel the remaining men leering at her as she approached the punching meter. She brought her fist back, took in a deep breath, and punched the pad as hard as she could... which wasn't very hard. She was fully expecting to hear the men start laughing at her pathetic attempt, but then she got an enormous shock when the machine exploded, sending her flying.

Even Genkai's eyes went a little wide, while the rest of the potential students eyes fairly bugged out of their heads.

Kiarra was on her knees now, looking from her hand, to what was left of the machine, and to Genkai, her own eyes huge. Then she yelped, realizing that she had just totally busted Genkai's punching meter. She quickly bowed low in front of her. "I'm sorry, Genkai-Sama!! I broke it! I didn't mean to..."

She heard Genkai give a low chuckle after a moment of looking at the girl in shock. The boys were all muttering amongst themselves. Some were saying it was a fluke, and they refused to be intimidated by a tiny woman, while others simply ran out the door.

"That's all right, Miss. I was intending to replace that one, anyway. It had a limit of five hundred, which simply shows that you have great potential. Not to mention you made my job a little easier by scaring away some of the competition. If people are not brave enough to face up against a powerful adversary, then they are not worthy of my attention. Now you can get up of your knees."

Kiarra got to her feet shakily, knowing that the Spirit Detectives had seen the display as well, and was wondering what they were thinking.

Then she blinked, seeing the blue haired girl in front of her. "Oh, you were injured! Here, I have some healing abilities. I will take care of those cuts in just a few seconds."

The girl's hand glowed lightly and Kiarra could only stare in mute fascination as she watched the cuts on her hand close on themselves and vanish as if they had never been there. She remembered Kurama and his healing abilities and wondered if she might not be a demon as well.

She smiled at the girl. "Thank you, Yukina."

She smiled back pleasantly. "You're welcome. Good luck with the rest of the test."

Genkai cleared her throat and Kiarra quickly turned her attention to the elderly woman.

"If you will follow me, I will bring you to the next test area and explain what I want done."

When they reached the next room, they saw that most of it, except for a small piece by the entrance, was shrouded in complete darkness. Right now they were by the door leading into the room.

Genkai turned to them. "Yukina?"

The blue haired woman came forward again, holding up a container with slips of paper inside it.

The old woman continued to speak. "I want each of you to come up and draw a piece of paper out of the container. Once you've done that, I'll continue explaining."

Everyone came forward one by one and drew a piece of paper. When Kiarra looked at hers, she saw the number 6 written on it.

Genkai looked at them when everyone had drawn a number. "This is a fighting stage of the test. The numbers you just drew will determine who your opponent will be. Then you will step into the darkness and fight. A winner will be determined through either the death or unconsciousness of their opponent... or, of course, if their opponent concedes defeat.

Kiarra felt her stomach drop. She had to FIGHT? And in total darkness, no less? She felt all the blood drain from her face. Maybe she should just run now...? But no. She couldn't do that. If she did, she knew the Spirit Detectives would not be impressed with her. Also, this was her only chance at getting help for her powers. She'd rather die than not know how to control them, anyway.

She took in a few deep breaths and forced herself to stay calm. Or as calm as she could be under the circumstances. She didn't notice Genkai casting cool looks her way as she struggled inwardly to keep from completely freaking out.

Kiarra watched in silence as the first two fighters went into the darkness. In the darkness over the next few minutes, she saw brief flashes of light and heard the unmistakable sounds of battle, before one of the fighters came out of the darkness, victorious. She heard a brief shuffle in the darkness, suggesting that someone had come to retrieve the dead or unconscious fighter. She hoped that he was just unconscious.

Then the people with number 3 and 4 stepped into the arena and fought with each other. Once again, there were many brief flashes of light and the sounds of a fierce battle taking place in the darkness before silence reigned again. Kiarra was getting more nervous by the second, knowing she was going to be up next.

The victorious fighter stepped out of the darkness, looking a little beaten up, but good overall. The victorious fighters went to Yukina who immediately healed their minor injuries, a pleasant smile on her face.

Once again, there was the sound of shuffling in the darkness, as persons unknown removed the dead or unconscious fighters from the arena.

Genkai nodded. "Numbers five and six? Please step forward."

Kiarra struggled to keep herself calm as she stepped forward, along with an enormous man who was easily twice her size and who was weilding a huge sword. Despite her resolve, her features went white.

The man smirked and cracked his knuckles. "I've got some advice for ya, sweetie... Get outta here while ya can. I'd hate ta have ta kill a cute little thing like you."

Genkai's eyes fell on Kiarra as she shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

His smirk widened. "It's your funeral, babe."

As the two of them stepped into the darkness, Kiarra had a growing sensation of dread in the pit of her stomach. Gotta keep calm, she told herself. If I don't concentrate, I'm definitely dead.

Still in the light, one of the fighters looked at his companion. "Man... that girl doesn't stand a chance against that brute. What a jerk. He actually threatened to kill her, and any idiot can see just by looking at her that she's no fighter."

The man at his side nodded. "Yeah. Poor thing. If it was me or you... I'd just knock her out and be done with it. No wonder she looks petrified."

Genkai heard the conversation, but said nothing as she looked into the darkness. The two of them were completely shrouded in the darkness, waiting for the signal to begin.

"Begin!!" Genkai shouted into the darkness.

Kiarra just stood where she was, her stomach now doing flip flops, and her eyes enormous, trying to penetrate the stygnant darkness. It wasn't her eyes that warned her of the oncoming danger, however. It was the barely perceptible footstep she heard only a few feet off to her left that told her to move.

She took a few quick steps back, but felt a crushing pain explode in her side an instant later, as her opponent kicked her hard in the ribs. She went flying back, and agonized scream coming from her. She was used to beatings, but at least when she had been in those situations, she had SEEN the person attacking her.

She landed in a heap, her body screaming in pain, and barely heard the whoosh of a blade cutting the air in time to dodge the large sword. She rolled to the side in a frenzied panic, her pain forgotten for a couple of precious seconds. She was on her knees when she heard the sound again, right in front of her. She didn't have time to move this time, and panic reared, sudden and full in all its glory, to the forefront of her mind.

She flung her arms forward, rather losing one of them than her life, as her eyes shut tightly, waiting for the blade to slice her in half. She screamed. "STOP IT!!!!!!"

Then she lit up like a Super Nova.

From where they stood, Genkai and her hopeful students felt their eyes go enormous as the darkness was lit up by the girl's aura as if it were a sun. Her arms were stretched out before her, her expression terrified, her eyes shut tightly. Only a few inches from her outstretched hands was her opponent, blade high ready for the killing blow. But it wasn't going to come this time. Her aura unleashed itself with a terrifying force and power, slamming into her opponent and incinerating him instantly. The power continued to come forth from her palms in an enormous blast that took out half the East wall of the dark stadium with a deafening bang. Debris fell and dust engulfed the arena as sunlight came through, penetrating the darkness. But now all they could see was a cloud of dust. It was then that her power finally pulled back in on itself and there was a long moment of stunned silence.

The Spirit Detectives had seen the display as well, and even Hiei's eyes were enormous, having felt and witnessed the force the tiny girl held. But now they were carefully feeling to see if Kiarra had survived the partial cave in, unable to penetrate the dust with their eyes.

She was still in there, alive and conscious. But she stayed where she was for several long moments. Nobody had to wonder why.

Kiarra was trembling uncontrolaby, tears streaming down her face once again as she realized what had happened. Not only had she completely destroyed Genkai's dark arena, but she had also killed her opponent. She hadn't wanted to kill him... she didn't want to kill ANYONE! The last thing she wanted to do right now was go back to Genkai and the other hopeful initiates. She didn't want to see their expressions. She didn't want to face them. But she knew she had to.

She shakily forced herself to her feet, only to fall to her knees as a searing pain just like the one she'd felt the last time her power unleashed itself flared through her body. Combined with the broken ribs and bruised hip she was pretty sure she had, as well as the gash on her head from one of her falls, made the pain almost unbearable. Taking a few deep breaths she gritted her teeth and forced herself to her feet again, being careful not to put too much pressure on her left leg. She felt the searing pain in her hip now, but she tried to ignore it as she slowly headed back to where the others were waiting.

She felt blood trailing down the side of her face from where the gash was over her right eye, close to her hairline. Her vision wavered somewhat in her sight. She stumbled slightly, but forced herself to continue.

When Genkai and the others saw her come out of the dust, limping and covered with several obvious injuries, most of the students were now officially freaked.

"Forget this! I came here to become Genkai-Sama's student, not to get killed by some freakishly powerful girl!!"

Nodding in agreement, many of the students raced out of the building. Only three students remained now, aside from Kiarra.

Kiarra looked up, her eyes a little glazed. She was breathing hard and was fighting to stay on her feet. Those glazed eyes filled with tears as she looked at Genkai.

"I'm... sorry..." she managed to get out before she started to cough. The searing pain in her midsection became unbearable and she lurched forward once again and fell to her knees. Her body screamed in pain once more and she found the world starting to blur in her sight.

Genkai was in front of her immediately, her eyes now wide with concern. She was quickly joined by Yukina, who was positively horrified at the injuries this girl had.

She was distracted for a moment by one of her hopeful students. "Genkai-Sama. The three of us will humbly forgo the rest of your tests. This woman obviously needs you far more than we do, and so we shall try again another time. Thank you for your time," he said, the others nodding in agreement. Genkai merely nodded in return and turned her attention to the woman once more when they turned and walked out the door.

The girl started to cough once again and this time blood came forth. Genkai's eyes went enormous.

"KURAMA!!" she bellowed out.

The fox demon was at her side in an instant, having come out of hiding long ago with the rest of the Spirit Detectives. He gently took the woman into his arms and checked her over.

Genkai's expression turned furious. "Why didn't that little bastard tell me that her body was not strong enough to withstand the amount of energy within her?!"

The four of them looked at her in shock. "KOENMA NEVER TOLD YOU?!" they said in shock.

She shook her head. "Of course he didn't! If I HAD known, I would have taken her in without putting her through this! There is a difference between special circumstance and an outright emergency! Without knowledge on how to control her power, and the strength training she needs to withstand it, she could destroy half the city and kill herself in the process! I do have my limits when it comes to how I gain my students!"

Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously. "So... he didn't tell you everything before having her come here to take part in your exam," His voice was venemous and he fully intended to kill the Prince for his stupidity when he saw him again.

Kurama shook his head. "We'll talk about this later! Her condition is very severe right now! I need to get her to a guest room so Yukina and I can heal her."

Yukina was on her feet immediately as the fox took the barely conscious woman into his arms. "Follow me!!

_There's chapter three for ya!! Now, don't forget... do you guys want it to be KuramaOC or HieiOC? Please tell me in your reviews!!!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Okay, here's chapter four! You're gonna learn a little of what Kiarra has been through in the past with most of her previous homes! And I need those reviews!!! I gotta know if you want it to be KuramaOC or HieiOC!! In this chapter, it's implied that Hiei might be getting feelings for her, so I need you to hurry!! If you want it to be Kurama, vote and get me to change my mind!! Please R&R!!!_

_And I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Just Kiarra._

About three hours later, Kurama stood up with a sigh. "She's healed now. She just needs some time to recuperate."

Hiei stood off to the side. Yukina was long gone, having exhausted her healing abilities only an hour after entering the room with the fox demon and the young woman. She had gone off to get some sleep... something the fire demon thought Kurama could use now.

"Get some sleep, Kurama. You used up too much energy haeling her."

He shook his head. "She will likely be upset when she wakes up. Someone should stay with her."

"I'll stay. Just go," Hiei said with a shrug.

Kurama frowned at him slightly. "No offense, Hiei, but you're not exactly an expert when it comes to comforting a distressed human female. In fact, you tend to be more cruel than anything when situations like this one arise."

"Hn. I think I can hold myself back, Kurama. Besides, if worse comes to worse, I can always get someone else in here. You don't honestly think that I'm going to deliberately hurt her, do you?"

The fox demon looked at him for a long moment, and then sighed in resignation. "All right. You stay with her. She should rest for around ten hours. If she wakes up before then, use your jagen eye to get her to sleep again. She has used up a great deal of her energy and needs as much sleep as she can get."

The fire apparation nodded, his arms still across his chest. When Kurama left the room, Hiei pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down, waiting patiently.

About six hours later, the girl stirred and her eyes opened a little blearily. Hiei opened his eyes, sensing her movement and he looked down at her. Her eyes went huge, seeing the unknown figure at her bedside before her eyes met his and she realized who it was. She just looked at him for a few seconds before she looked away and she shuddered.

"I killed him... I didn't mean to, but it just happened..." she said, her voice shaken and a little constricted... evidence that she was trying not to cry.

Hiei was barely able to keep himself from snorting. "If you hadn't kill him, then he would have killed you. Your power activated right in time, even if it did go overboard. Don't cry over scum like him."

She took in a deep breath and nodded. "I guess you're right," she said quietly. She couldn't look at him. His red eyes were too intense for her. Images from her past flashed through her mind, but she quickly shoved them aside. She was scared enough without thinking about the possibility of one of those scenario's occurring here.

The fire demon looked at her for a long moment before sighing in resignation. He leaned back in his chair. "Listen. I'm not good at... consoling people. It's just not something I've had to or really CARED to do before. Kurama used up a great deal of his energy healing you this last time, and so I told him to go get some sleep and offered to stay here with you. If you would prefer someone else be here with you, I'll go get someone else..."

Her eyes widened a little. "You don't have to do that. I don't need anyone to hold me or anything like that. Just having someone here in the room with me is enough, Hiei."

He looked at her for a long moment once more, his eyes looking straight into her own. She felt a chill race down her spine. She found herself desperately pushing paranoid thoughts out of her mind once more.

"You should go back to sleep. Kurama told me you should sleep for no less than ten hours and it's only been six."

Kiarra had a small flash of the days events and shivered. She didn't think she'd be able to get to sleep with what had happened. But then, as if he was reading her mind, the fire demon spoke up again.

"I'll get you to sleep," he said. She looked up and blinked when she saw him reach up and remove the headband. Then she saw a thin line that opened, revealing a third eye in the center of his forehead. Her eyes went huge.

"It's called a jagen eye, and it grants me additional abilities and increases my strength. One of those abilities is to enter another person's mind." He saw a small measure of uncertainty and fear in her expression. Acting more on instinct than on rational thought, he reached forward and gently touched her cheek, and felt a smile come to his lips. The woman stiffened immediately, her eyes going slightly wider. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you, Kiarra." Then he activated his power.

When Kiarra saw the third eye in the middle of his forehead and he explained what it was for, she was more than a little uneasy. The third eye, combined with his already unsettling crimson eyes, made him look scary. Not to mention she wasn't sure if she wanted him to see the memories that had been flashing through her mind since she had woken up with him at her bedside. But that fear turned more intense when she saw his expression soften as he looked at her, his hand coming forward to gently touch her cheek. Then she saw those ever frowning lips curl up into a smile that somehow reminded her of Kurama's. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you, Kiarra."

Then she saw the third eye in the center of his forehead glow a light blue as his fingers found her temple. Before she could allow her paranoid thoughts to become more extreme, the world spun around her and she was in a deep, dreamless sleep.

-------------------------

While Hiei was with Kiarra, Yusuke and Genkai had summoned Botan to take them to see Koenma. The two of them were NOT impressed with the toddler.

Koenma was looking more than a little uncomfortable as Genkai dug into him. Yusuke blinked and then grinned, deciding to just let her have her fun instead of him wasteing his own breath.

"DON'T YOU EVER WITHOLD INFORMATION LIKE THAT FROM ME AGAIN, YOU LITTLE BRAT!!! DO YOU REALISE THAT SHE COULD HAVE DIED? AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IF SHE HADN'T THRUST HER ARMS OUT, SHE COULD HAVE DESTROYED MY ENTIRE TEMPLE AND KILLED EVERYONE INSIDE IT!!! I'M NOT SO CRUEL AS TO BRUSH OFF SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO BACK UP THEIR SPIRIT ENERGY!!!!"

Koenma sighed when she finally finished screaming at him. "All right. I admit I should have told you, but I felt it would be best if you saw how extreme her situation is for yourself. That girl destroyed twenty city blocks in less than a minute, completely by accident, Genkai. And that was with a relatively small burst of anger. If she ever becomes enraged... I don't think I have to tell you what the possible ramifications could be."

Genkai's face was a hard mask. "I would have taken her in without putting her through all those tests if you had told me everything from the start, Koenma. The next time you need my help in matters such as this, don't you DARE withhold information like that from me!!"

The infant sighed again. "I admit that I was wrong, Genkai."

The woman nodded. "Let's go, Yusuke. We have lots of work to do."

Nodding, the boy followed her out of the room where Botan was waiting for them.

--------------------------------

The next morning, while Kiarra was hanging out with Yukina in the Temple's gardens, Genkai was seated with the Spirit Detectives in the dining hall.

"I want you boys to tell me everything you know about Kiarra. If I want any hope in helping her, I'll have to try and understand her first. She seems to be very withdrawn and self conscious. Her aura is always close to her, as if she's enfolded in it like a security blanket."

Kurama nodded. "Yes, I noticed that as well. I believe it has to do with her past. Koenma told us she was NOT treated well throughout her life and she likely has a difficult time trusting people."

Genkai's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you know about her past?"

Yusuke shrugged. "No details, but we know that she was abandoned at birth. She was found in a trash dumpster when she was only a few hours old. She spent her entire life going from orphanages, to foster care, to the streets and back again. And according to Koenma, in most of the homes she was in, she was abused. I'm guessing the same thing may have happened to her on the streets and even possibly in the orphanages themselves. In fact, her power activated for the first time because her current adopted father was beating the crap out of her. I guess she finally snapped and it unleashed."

Hiei spoke up then, to their surprise. "There's more to it than that, even." He looked at them. "When I was with her last night, she woke up briefly. When she saw me at her bedside, I sensed a cold terror run through her for an instant, and then, when she realized it was me, it tapered off into a feeling akin to apprehension. When I used my jagen eye to get her to sleep again, I found that she was afraid of rape."

Their eyes all went huge. "Rape?" Kuwabara asked, his eyes wide. Then his hands balled into fists. "Do you mean to tell me that someone raped her?"

Kurama looked at him. "How much... did you learn, Hiei?" he asked, not quite sure if he really wanted to know, but knowing that it was a question that had to be asked.

"A great deal, actually," he said. "And to be perfectly honest, it left me feeling disgusted. Even now I'm ready to say fuck it to our agreement with Koenma and go on a little human killing spree." His red eyes met their own. "She was raped for the first time when she was six years old by a pedophile who had adopted her into his home. From that time on, the abuse continued in a total of thirteen different homes over the course of the last eleven years."

Kurama's expression was carefully composed, but they saw a rage burning in his eyes. "And where did you say these homes were located, Hiei?"

Yusuke nodded. "Count me in."

Kuwabara's teeth were gritting together. "Lead the way, small fry. I could stand to pound in a few heads right about now..."

"Enough!" Genkai said. She was standing at the head of the table. Her own jaw was set and her eyes were filled with as much fury as their own. "I want to go on a killing spree as much as you do right now, but you know that we can't. It would not help Kiarra to do that. We now know that source of her insecurity, but now we have to figure out what to do about it."

They were quiet for a long moment before Kurama spoke up. "I think the first thing we should do is teach her how to control her spirit energy. Once she has some degree of control over her power, her confidence might build up a little."

Kuwabara looked at him. "But if she's afraid of us.."

He shook her head. "That fear will gradually leave her, Kuwabara. She is desperate right now, and so she will stay with us, even though she doesn't know us. And besides, with Genkai and Yukina here, it will make her feel safer."

Hiei nodded. "Yes. Although there WERE women in most of the homes she was in, none of them were around her age, for one thing, and for another, few of them seemed to have an interest in forming a friendship with her. And when she attended school, she shyed away from everyone, rather than risking someone discovering what her life was really like. I think she could use some female companionship."

Yusuke grinned. "I have a feeling that Genkai's gonna become her new mother figure... or should I say grandmother figure?"

She glowered at him. "Don't push your luck, boy."

Kurama chuckled. "Well, I suppose with that done... we should begin training her tomorrow. Any objections?"

The four of them shook their heads, and Genkai nodded. "Yes. The sooner we start, the better. But for today, we'll let her get her bearings and perhaps make a friend in Yukina. I'm sure she must be relieved to have someone to talk to after such a long life of isolated hell."

The fox demon nodded immediately. "Yes. So... if there is nothing further to discuss?"

The others all cast questioning looks at Genkai who shook her head, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Nothing at this time. I believe that will conclude our business for now."

Nodding, the rest of them got to their feet and set off to do their own things. Kurama and Hiei headed for the gardens, while Yusuke and Kuwabara headed out back to spar.

_YAY!! Chapter four is up!! So, what's it gonna be? Kurama/Kiarra? Hiei/Kiarra? Tell me, please!! And in the next chapter, a more detailed look at Kiarra's past, as she talks to Yukina in the gardens... and it's conversation our two potential boyfriends happen to overhear. Read and Review!!!!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hmm... so far I've got two votes for Hiei/ Kiarra, and none for Kurama. So Hiei it is!! (I was leaning toward them anyway... hehehe) Okies! Here's chapter Five!! Please R&R!!**

The two demons spotted Yukina and Kiarra seated on a bench in the garden and carefully stepped out of sight. The two girls were deep in conversation.

Yukina's eyes were wide as she looked at Kiarra. "How could so many people be so cruel? I can see nothing in your personality or in your aura itself that indicates that you would do anything even remotely bad deliberately."

The two demons saw the girl shrug a little helplessly. "The orphanages don't really care about where the orphans in their care go. As far as they are concerned, they just want to get the kids there in a home so there's another bed open for another child. Because of the demand, I don't think they even screen the homes and, trust me on this one, I know... When it comes to investigating complaints that the children report, they do a half assed investigation and nine times out of ten, they shrug it off as nothing." Then she sighed. "As for why I seemed to get the worst of them... I don't really know. I've been told often enough that the majority of people believe that my mother was a prostitute and I was nothing more than a trick baby. For some reason, people seemed to think that it made me worthless somehow. In the homes where I was beaten, they just wanted the money given to them from the government and didn't think I was good for anything else. In the homes where I was..." She struggled with the wording for a moment. "...violated by the male members of the family..." She shook her head. "They told me like mother like daughter, and just left it at that."

Yukina looked at her in deep sympathy. "Didn't you try telling anyone? About either forms of abuse?"

She snorted then. "Like I said... half assed investigations. I only tried telling once or twice in the beginning before giving it up as a hopeless cause. Nobody gives a shit about the kids that wind up in those orphanages. They just want to get them with a family and don't give a crap what the people are like. When I was five, I told a worker who just came to do a routine check that my foster father had beaten me, and tried showing her some of the bruises, but..." She shook her head. "Unfortunately for me, the foster parents were high class citizens. So, they immediately denied it, saying I had fallen down the steps in the front of their house and said that was where I had gotten the injuries. And, of course, who are people going to believe: high class citizens who are well known for their charitable involvement with the community, or a trick child from a suspected prostitute?"

Yukina shook her head, her eyes tearing slightly. "I don't... understand how you could have gone through all that and come out as well as you did."

Kiarra sighed. "Well, you remember telling me how you had been captured and held against your will, and the man who did it used to beat you to try and get you to cry so he could get those precious gems?"

She nodded. "Yes. I just got used to the beatings and learned not to react to them anymore."

"It's like that... except, it's not that I learned not to react to them anymore, exactly. It's just like I grew numb to them. To the beatings and... rapes. I just... learned to take it. I guess I sort of started to think that I may as well be resigned to my fate." She sighed and leaned back on the bench. "That's why I feel so... strange about this sudden change."

Yukina blinked and looked at her. "Strange how?"

The girl smiled a little wanely. "Well, this is probably going to sound strange to you, but..." She looked at her. "I have been mistreated by men for so long... in one way or another. This is the first time I've had men sitting beside my bed and not had them... you know..." She shook her head. "I'm just so used to it, I guess that when I come across guys who DON'T mistreat me in some way, I can't help but think that there's SOMETHING that they want. But I just don't know what it is."

The ice maiden smiled at her gently. "I can tell you one thing right now. Not all men are like the ones that you've been mistreated by. The ones here have a great deal of respect for women and would never do anything to them without their consent. Yusuke has a girlfriend named Keiko, and he doesn't even cast a glance at other girls if he can help it at all. Kuwabara is just a very nice and sweet man. He's really good at making me laugh when I'm feeling a little upset. As for Kurama..." She smiled. "You'll never find a nicer or more respectable man in the world. And Hiei... even though he can sometimes seem a little scary, he's got his own honor code and I know he would NEVER treat you in any way like those other men did. You're free of the abuse now, Kiarra. Now that you're here, you can relax... at least until your training starts."

Kiarra managed a small smile. "Yeah... I have no idea what to expect from THAT."

Yukina put a hand on her own. "I'm sure the PHYSICAL aspect of the training won't involve actual fighting for a little while. If I know Genkai, and considering the nature of your situation, I'd say she's going to focus more on teaching you how to control reiki, or spirit energy first. That way, you might stand a chance of gaining control of your abilities. Once you have them in some semblance of control, then she might teach you how to fight. And I can guarantee that the guys will all be there helping you, too. Kurama coached Kuwabara a great deal on how to better control his weapon... something called a reiki sword. And I'm sure Yusuke will be more than happy to teach you some fighting moves and give you some tips of his own."

She smiled a bit more. "That doesn't sound so bad. I just hope I get a grasp on it quickly. I want to get this under control as quickly as I can."

Yukina looked at her, her expression a little stern. "Don't rush it, and try to be patient. I know it's hard for you, but some people have a difficult time understanding how to control reiki energy, and you just learned what it was yesterday... and not in the nicest way, either. Until the time comes that you get a grasp of it, you should always remember to keep your emotions in check, if at all possible."

She nodded, looking a little ashamed. "I know, and I'll try. I just feel really bad about Genkai's temple and all the damage I did to it. Not to mention I scared the rest of her students away."

Yukina smiled at her gently. "I wouldn't worry about the temple. Genkai has plenty of money and she knows the risks when it comes to recruiting new students. Also, it doesn't matter that you scared away the potential students. Once she realized the severity of your situation, Genkai would have taken you in, anyway. She would never leave someone in your situation on their own. It would be far too dangerous, not only to the person in question, but to everyone else in the city."

Kiarra nodded silently, a small smile coming to her face. "Thanks, Yukina."

The ice maiden smiled at her prettily. "It's what friends are for." Then her nose wrinkled slightly, taking in the girls torn clothes and generally unkempt appearance. "But... you know, we should do something about getting you some new clothes, and maybe getting your hair styled before your training starts."

"I think that is an excellent idea," said Kurama, stepping into sight, his gentle smile in place.

Kiarra blinked and shoved back her sudden nervousness, wondering how much of their conversation the fox demon had heard. Then she saw Hiei appear from behind him, and tried not to fidget. She decided that if they HAD heard the conversation, there was nothing she could do about it now, and just hoped that they didn't bring it up. It wasn't something she really felt like going into again... especially with a guy.

The red head continued speaking, pretending he didn't notice Kiarra's sudden discomfort. "We've decided you should spend the rest of the day settling in, and I think that would include getting some clothes and accessories for yourself since you will be staying here. I would be more than willing to pay for some clothes for you, and I'm sure Yukina would love the opportunity to go with you."

The ice maiden smiled. "That would be great! I went shopping with Keiko before she left for America last week and she showed me this wonderful clothing store. I'm sure you'd love it, Kiarra, and it would give us a chance to get to know each other a little better."

Kuwabara seemed to appear from out of nowhere, a smile on his face. "Yukina, you going shopping? You mind some company? I could keep any jerks from harrassing you..."

Yukina smiled at him prettily. "That would be great, Kazu-chan!"

Kurama nodded. "We'll all go. For the time being, it is our duty to protect you, Kiarra. WWe have to keep you from harm."

Kiarra blinked, and looked down at her clothes, a tiny smile hesitantly coming to her lips. "I guess my clothes have taken a beating in the last couple of days... and if you're sure you wouldn't mind buying them for me..."

The fox demon smiled at her gently. "I don't mind at all. I have enough money to go around, I can assure you. And I can't let that beautiful hair of yours remain in that damaged condition either, so we will do as Yukina suggested and take you to a stylist as well."

Yusuke came up to them, grinning. "A clothes shopping trip, huh? Well, I guess it'll bring back memories of shopping with Keiko."

Genkai stepped out. "Well, since the five of you are heading out, I'll make some arrangements to get my arena repaired. Try not to stay out too late, because that girl's going to need her rest tonight. She's going to start her training in reiki control tomorrow morning."

Kurama nodded. "We will not be gone long."

The old woman nodded and stepped up to Kiarra, reaching into her pocket and handing her a wad of money. "Save your money, Kurama. I have her covered." She gave the girl a rare gentle smile. "Enjoy yourself. Take some time to relax."

Kiarra almost looked like she was going to try refusing the money, but then thought better of it. She gave the old woman a thanking smile. "Thank you, Genkai-sama."

The woman just gave her a nod. "Off with you, now."

Nodding, the group of them lead Kiarra out of the temple grounds and into the city.

**Sorry, I know this chapter's kinda short. I'll update when I have the chance to, but I'll be away from my computer for a week or so... so just bear with me! I WILL BE BACK!! And everyone... please... READ AND REVIEW!! (please check out my other stories, too, if you don't mind) looks up to the sky and hopes reviews come raining down upon her Ja ne!! See ya soon!! **


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the wait, everyone! I'm trying to update all my stories, but it's taking me a little time! Here's chapter six!! Please read and review!!**

**I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho... just Kiarra.**

Less than an hour later, Kiarra was dressed in a new t-shirt (one that was baggy, so it covered her physical attributes), and a new pair of jeans. Her hair had about an inch cut off the ends, ridding her of her split ends, and was parted in the middle, leaving her face exposed, although she consciously tried to conceal her features behind strands of her hair, not wanting others to see her face.

Kurama saw this display of self consciousness and sighed inwardly. It would take him some time, but he was determined that this girl was going to be openly flaunting her natural beauty and filled with confidence before her training was done. She just needed to learn to trust again.

She was walking alongside them quietly, looking at displays in the windows, trying to get a feel of what sort of clothes she would like. It seemed that she liked dark or neutral colors the most, and she wound up getting everything either black, white, or dark blue, shying away from the bright colored clothes that were being offered for sale.

Kiarra had stopped to look at some shoes that were displayed in a window, contemplating buying a pair, when she heard a voice behind her.

"Kiarra? Is that you?"

Hiei looked at her expression and his eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw her eyes go wide and her face go white. The girl whirled to face a boy who was about three or four years older than she was, dressed in blue jeans, a black t-shirt, hand short cropped black hair, and a pierced eyebrow.

He had a smile on his face, but something about it set the Rekai Tentai's nerves on edge. "Hey, it IS you!" He came forward and took her by the hand. "Ya know, you vanished on us. Where did you go? Me and Dad've REALLY missed you..."

Kiarra's expression was the look of one haunted, her eyes glazed over as she could only stare. She couldn't bring herself to speak. Yusuke and Kuwabara's teeth started to grind together, not entirely sure what was going on, but knowing she was obviously terrified of this guy. Kurama had a deep frown on his face.

Hiei suddenly had a series of images flash from Kiarra's mind to his own, and that was all the incentive he needed, aside from the fact that he felt her power slowly starting to stir within her.

Before the other three could make a move, Hiei had grabbed the boy, tearing his grip from Kiarra and slamming him into the wall. His sword was out of its sheath before anyone could so much as blink, and the blade was up against the boys throat.

Their eyes all went huge, and Kiarra took a couple steps back both in shock and relief.

"Hey, what the fuck?!" the boy said, but whatever else he might have been inclined to say died when he saw the cold, murderous glint in Hiei's eyes.

"Let me make something painfully clear for you, ningen... If you EVER attempt to contact this woman again, I will not hesitate to remove your head! This is your one and only warning, so I suggest you leave us now!! And believe me... mine is not an idle threat!!"

The man went white. "O... okay, buddy! You got it! I'll stay away from her! If I'd know she was yours now, I wouldn't have..."

Hiei snarled immediately, his brows furrowing in anger as he slammed the boy down onto the sidewalk now. "She doesn't BELONG to anyone!! Don't forget that!!"

The man's expression showed that he heard the message loud and clear. "Alright, alright!! I won't come near her again!!"

Hiei got to his feet and continued to glare at the man as he scrambled to his feet and shot off down the street.

Kiarra had a hand over her heart as she let out a sigh of relief. Yusuke came up beside her, his eyes following the boy as he vanished in the distance.

"Who the hell was that asshole?"

Kiarra blinked, hearing the question. "Just... someone I've been trying to forget," she said simply, seeing no reason to elaborate.

Hiei's eyes were now on her, but she quickly looked away from his gaze.

Kurama decided to leave this one lie for now, not wanting to press into matters that might backfire later. He laid a hand on her shoulder gently and gave her a smile. "Well, I say we get you a pair of shoes and then head back to the temple. It's getting late now, and you'll need your rest for tomorrow."

She sighed, evidently very much relieved to hear these words. "Alright." She quickly entered the store, the boys right at her heels. She came out only ten minutes later, having a new pair of shoes.

Yusuke grinned. "Hey, I wouldn't mind shopping with you more often... Most of the girls I shop with spend 90 of their time in the change room and it's hours before we get out of a store... but you got all your clothes in less than an hour!"

She cast a half glance his way. "My families were... impatient," she said quietly, again not wanting to elaborate.

Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged a look, hearing those words, and both frowned thoughfully, but decided it would be best not to press her anymore. The look that Hiei sent their way supported their decision to not ask for further details.

Once they had finished shopping, they headed back to the temple.

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When they had returned, they saw repair crews finishing up for the day, and telling Genkai that they would be finished the job in the next couple of days. She simply nodded and they went on their way, as she turned and saw the others returning. She stepped up to them immediately, giving Kiarra a small smile.

"The damage wasn't as bad as we thought. It won't take them as long as I figured it might for them to repair the walls." Then she clasped her hands behind her back and regarded them. "So, how did the shopping go?"

Kurama nodded. "It went well, Genkai. We got her everything she needs."

She nodded. "Good." She looked at Kiarra once more. "You be sure to get plenty of sleep tonight. Your training is starting tomorrow."

The girl nodded silently.

Yusuke grinned along with Kuwabara. "Well, let's get your stuff up to your room," he said, the both of them holding shopping bags filled with her clothes and accessories.

She nodded silently once more and started off, the two boys right behind her.

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Hiei and Kurama went to walk around in the gardens outside the temple. The kitsune looked at the koorime curiously. "That boy that approached Kiarra... was he one of the ones who hurt her?"

Hiei scowled deeply. "He and his father both. The moment she set her eyes upon him, she was paralyzed with fear, and images from her past came from her mind to my own. The things that the two of them did to her left even me feeling sick."

Kurama frowled. "If that is the case, then I have a feeling I don't want to know myself what it was that..."

"You're right. You don't," Hiei said quickly, cutting off whatever else he had been about to say. Then he turned and looked up to the second level, seeing through the balcony window to Kiarra's room. The girl was putting her clothes away and saying goodnight to Kuwabara and Yusuke, the two boys hovering in the doorway for only a few moments before they left.

Kurama looked on with him, and then cast a glance in Hiei's direction. The koorime's eyes were hard as he looked at her unwaveringly, his expression very serious. "Hiei?"

"Hn. Her training will start early tomorrow and her thoughts are everywhere right now. She won't sleep well without help."

Kurama nodded. "Alright. I'll put together a tea for her that will allow her..."

"No," Hiei cut in. "I'll take care of it. Besides, she's likely to gag from the taste of one of your concoctions. My Jagen Eye will at least keep her from possibly losing her lunch."

Kurama blinked in surprise, looking at the fire demon, and then he let a small smile come to his face. "As you wish. I will give mother a call, and go to bed, if that is the case. I will leave Kiarra in your capable hands, Hiei."

He turned and started off, Hiei staring after him, his eyes narrowing slightly at the implication behind the kitsune's words. He scowled and looked back up at the balcony and into her room. She had just shut off the light and he could barely make out her form as it headed out of sight towards the corner of the room where her bed was located.

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Kiarra sighed, shutting off the light to her room, and using the light coming through the balcony window to guide her to her bed. She pulled back the covers and climbed in, trying to get herself to calm down.

What a time for her to come face to face with a member of one of her former families! And especially THAT family!! She shivered, a brief flurry of images invading her mind, memories she had tried to suppress for years coming to the surface. She stubbornly fought them back and took in a steadying breath.

It had been Hiei who had saved her, and she had never felt so much relief before in her life. She had no idea what might have happened if he hadn't stepped in the way that he had. The way he had acted, it almost seemed as if he KNEW what Genjo and his father had done to her...

She blinked, something Hiei told her the night before coming back to her.

_"It's called a Jagen Eye and it grants me additional abilities and increases my strength. One of those abilities is to directly connect my mind to another persons."_

Her eyes went wide, the memory returning to her. Did Hiei know? Was it possible that he had SEEN the images as they flashed through her mind? Could he read her thoughts?

"Does that bother you?" said a familiar voice from the foot of her bed.

Kiarra let out a screech of alarm, sat bolt upright, and saw Hiei standing there, his strange red eyes upon her. She breathed a small sigh of relief before she blinked again, realization hitting her. Her eyes went wide and she felt her stomach drop.

"You mean... you CAN read my mind?! You actually KNOW about...?" She couldn't finish framing the question, but Hiei understood what she was asking nontheless and nodded.

"Yes. When my mind was connected to yours last night, I learned of the specifics of your past. And today, when that boy approached you, your mind was projecting the images very strongly. I do know, Kiarra. And I'll ask again... Does that bother you?" His eyes were looking at her unwaveringly.

She shivered under their intense gaze and held herself close. "It's just... I'm not used to it... To people knowing, that is." She managed to smile weakly. "I guess it's just something I'll have to get used to."

Hiei looked at her for a long moment in silence and then stepped around to the side of her bed. She stiffened slightly and he snorted.

"Hn. I've told you before, I'm not going to hurt you. I used to be a thief and I've even killed many times before, but never before have I treated a woman in the manner that you have been treated. And I have no intentions of starting now. You can relax."

She forced herself to calm down, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Did you... tell the others?" she asked quietly.

He was quiet for a long moment once more. "It was necessary. In order for us to help you, we have to understand you, Kiarra. We have to know what it is that you've been through. But before you ask, I didn't tell them anything specific or graphic."

She only nodded silently, knowing there was no point in being upset over that issue. It had only been a matter of time before they had found out anyway, she supposed. She blinked when she felt the edge of her bed depress as Hiei sat down, and her heart leaped into her throat when she felt his unnaturally warm hand touch her cheek. She looked up, her eyes wide and she saw his own red eyes drilling into hers. His expression was serious, displaying no emotion.

"You need your sleep, and your mind is too active tonight for you to do that on your own. That's why I came to see you. Your training starts tomorrow and you need to be rested for it. Just lay down and relax."

Kiarra almost hesitated, but then sighed inwardly. He already knew about what she had been through, so it didn't matter anymore anyway. And if he had wanted to do anything to her, he most certainly would have done it by now. She was surprised to find that she believed him... that she was starting to trust him.

She layed down silently, and she felt his hand move from her cheek up to her temple once more. She watched as he removed the headband, revealing his third eye. She closed her eyes, feeling a chill race down her spine. After a few seconds had passed, the world spun away from around her, and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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Hiei looked down at Kiarra's soundly sleeping form for a long moment, replacing the headband he had just removed. So now she knew that they were all aware of her life circumstances. He wondered if that would affect her behavior around them in the future, and decided that they were just going to have to wait and see.

A lock of her platinum hair fell before her eyes and he reached forward, brushing it away from her face. Then he paused, his eyes widening slightly.

What the fuck? He growled deep in his throat. He had done what he had intended to do. She was sleeping and would be well rested for her training tomorrow. There was no reason for him to remain here. So why the hell was he lingering?!

He stood up once more and made his way to the balcony, taking a last glance back at the woman. He stopped again in spite of himself. She looked so frail... helpless, lying there asleep. But at the same time, she had so much power locked within her that if she were able to unleash it at will, she could easily have killed Toguro with a little to spare. She had so much power, but no idea how to use it... in fact, was afraid of it...

Hiei growled again, shaking his head. What the fuck was wrong with him?

He forced himself to turn away and vanished from her balcony, intent on finding a tree to sleep in for the night.

**Alright!!! There's Chapter six!! It might take me a little while to get chapter seven up, so please bear with me!! And keep those reviews coming!! If you couldn't tell, it's definitely going to be Hiei together with Kiarra now!! And in the next chapter, Genkai's going to start training Kiarra!!**


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